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vangefinn. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
vangefinn, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
vangefinn in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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Icelandic
Etymology
From van- (“too little, short of, lacking in”) + gefinn (“given, gifted”). Compare vel gefinn (“intelligent”, literally “well given”), illa gefinn (“unintelligent”, literally “badly given”), and English gifted.
Pronunciation
Adjective
vangefinn
- (dated) mentally disabled, mentally retarded, mentally handicapped
- Synonyms: þroskaskertur, þroskaheftur
- (informal, offensive) retard, imbecile, idiot, person who has made a foolish mistake
- Synonyms: hálfviti, asni
- Hvað er að þér, ertu eitthvað vangefinn?! ― What is the matter with you, you imbecile!
Usage notes
Was used between approximately 1930 and the early 2000s as a polite term to refer to the mentally disabled. By the 2000s it had become a common insult among children and teenagers, after which it fell out of favor. It was taken over by þroskaheftur, which itself fell out of favor for þroskaskertur in the 2010s.
Derived terms
See also